Traveling can be one of the best things for people to do but it can also be one of the most stressful things to do. Traveling requires a lot out of people especially if you are traveling to a place you have never been or a place that requires a plane ticket to get to. The stress that most people feel during vacations is likely due to bad travel habits that they may not even realize they are doing. This article dives into 10 bad habits that most travelers do and 10 that can replace them and make your vacation a stress free one.

There are plenty of traveling habits that are out there that make for stressful travel and some of them can be very hard to break. If you are running into the problem of trying to break a travel habit then you should look into a solution to replace it. This can be something like traveling with a smaller suitcase if you have over-packing tendencies. Or perhaps you find yourself getting dehydrated constantly when traveling. Perhaps you might want to look into purchasing a reusable water bottle to help to remind yourself to stay on top of drinking water. Whatever the case breaking these bad habits can lead to a more successful vacation experience.

20 Bad Habit – Bringing A Specific Amount Of Money To Spend

Chances are when you typically travel you have a set amount of money you want to spend on your vacation. This helps budget your vacation so you don't end up spending too much money while you are away in paradise. However, what you shouldn't do is bring too little money which is what happens many times when people travel with a budget. Don't forget the credit card at home because it is always great to have a backup. You never know what could happen while you are away from home and it can be a game changer to bring back up cash.

19 New Habit – Bring More Money Than You Need

To avoid being in a predicament without cash you should always travel with more than you need. This can be risky as you don't want to be carrying around your whole savings account worth in cash due to the possibility of it getting stolen. However, the chances of you needing that money are higher than it getting stolen in most cases. There are of course ways to prevent having to carry around large amounts of cash like credit and debit cards. However, cash can be very useful for traveling especially places that don't accept cards. Finding a nice medium between cash and cards is an important decision.

18 Bad Habit - Picking Any Flight Or Hotel To Use

Everyone loves to be spontaneous and this is especially true when it comes to traveling. However, you can get yourself into a bad situation if you randomly choose any flight or hotel room that pops up in your Google search. Sure it might be the cheapest but it could always be worth the extra money in the long run. This is especially true when choosing a hotel room as you want to be comfortable on your vacation and chances are you will be spending a good part of your vacation in your hotel room. You shouldn't cut costs on choosing flights either if you want a comfortable seat or convenience.

17 New Habit – Do Your Research Before You Choose

The best thing to do while planning a vacation or business trip is to do your research. This doesn't mean just typing a flight into Google and choosing the first one. This means planning your flight and hotel and everything else on your vacation before you book a ticket. It is very important to have everything connecting together so you don't arrive at your destination without a hotel room because it was too booked. This is just one example but there are plenty of websites that will help you plan your flight and hotel room easily!

16 Bad Habit – Over Packing Your Bags

This may be an obvious habit to break but you still see so many people stuck in the airport unpacking things from their bag because it didn't fit on the scale. You don't want this to be you because not only is it embarrassing it can cause you to miss your flight. Finding a good balance of what to bring on a vacation can be hard but you should always make sure you have the proper weight for checking a bag. It is also important to make sure carry on will be small enough to either fit in the storage bins above you or under the seat in front of you.

15 New Habit – Use A Smaller Luggage

One of the best ways to help you succeed in breaking this habit is to purchase smaller luggage. Large suitcases allow for a lot of room but make it much riskier to be over the weight limit. Buying a smaller suitcase is also cheaper and if it is small enough you may not even have to check it which saves tons with most airlines. We're not saying to under pack for a vacation because that is another bad habit but it is important to find a happy medium. If you aren't sure about the weight of your bag a luggage scale is worth purchasing for any time you fly.

14 Bad Habit – Not Knowing The Language

This happens to many travelers as many people simply want to travel to some of the hottest spots to vacation. Many places in the world speak a wide variety of languages and chances are you aren't going to speak every one of them. We're not saying you need to be fluent in the language but there are definitely ways to better your vacation as far as communicating. Learning simple phrases that will help you navigate and talk to people will help you not get lost and may even assist in making friends on your travels.

13 New Habit – Know The Basics Before You Go

Ways that can help you grasp the language are pretty simple and don't take much time. Reading up on a few phrases to help you around town can help. There are also people who specialize in meeting and touring visitors through their country and city that also speak English or your native language. These people will usually help you around the city and let you know the basics of the place you are visiting. Think of them as your own personal translator. This can help with getting around the place and meeting new people. It can also help in learning the new language.

12 Bad Habit - Grocery Shopping At Expensive Chain Stores

Chances are when you travel you will need to stock up on some essentials especially if you are traveling for a long period of time. It is time to hit up the grocery store! However, one thing that travelers often get wrong is immediately going to what appears to be the most popular or the nicest grocery store. If you seek out these places chances are you will fall into a tourist trap where prices are increased just for the sake of being a tourist attraction. You will end up overspending a large margin for not a lot of increase in quality.

11 New Habit - Find Reasonable Local Alternatives

When traveling and doing grocery shopping it may be worth it to do some research on local grocery stores in the area. Chances are you will find local alternatives that offer the same things at much lower prices. A great way to find these places is to ask the locals who probably aren't visiting the tourist trap grocery stores as they know where to get the real deals. If you are planning on not eating out much on your vacation this can be a real money saver in the end.

10 Bad Habit - Dehydration

This may be a habit that you don't even realize you are doing on vacation. Many people get too caught up in the excitement of being on vacation that they forget to step back and drink some water. This can be dangerous especially in places that it is hot or places that you will be walking a lot in. You can start experiencing nausea, exhaustion, and headaches if you are dehydrated. You don't want this to happen especially when you are out enjoying your vacation. Make sure to always have access to water whether that be in a water fountain or in a water bottle.

9 New Habit – Bring A Reusable Water Bottle

A great new habit that can cut down on dehydration is bringing a reusable water bottle. While these water bottles are typically more expensive and less convenient than plastic bottles they are reusable. The money you spend on them will be made back in no time. This can also help you become more environmentally friendly. There are usually places to fill your water bottle when you are out and about on vacation which means there is never a time that you shouldn't be keeping up with drinking water. As long as you keep up with your water bottle and keep consistent with drinking during your vacation dehydration shouldn't be an issue.

8 Bad Habit - Converting Money At The Aiport

Chances are once or twice you have forgotten to exchange your money for the currency of the place you are visiting. This usually happens when you are busy booking everything else. It is an easy thing to forget but there are better ways to get the most out of your dollar than visiting the conversion booths at the airport. Typically the convenience fee for having a currency exchange right there at the airport is an expensive one and one that can be avoided easily. If you are traveling to a place that doesn't accept your currency make sure to do the research beforehand.

7 New Habit - Find The Best Rate Beforehand

While accidents happen and sometimes you may forget to find a way to exchange your cash before you leave for a vacation there are definitely better ways to exchange your money than the airport conversion kiosks. Simply Googling a place or researching a bit can help you find a better conversion rate than the ones at the airport. Many ATMs offer the exchanging of your money at a cheaper rate. If you think you are getting ripped off at the airport chances are you probably are. You should always search for a better deal when dealing with converting your money.

6 Bad Habit - Skipping Meals

Forgetting to eat due to having a good time on a vacation isn't always the worst thing but it can lead to you not feeling well. Chances are you have been in the situation where you are so excited about your vacation that you forgot to eat all day and it is already night time. Realizing this too late can lead to exhaustion and an array of other symptoms that you don't want to have on your vacation. You should always make sure to plan your vacation around meals even if it means spending a little extra to eat out at a restaurant or grabbing fast food.

5 New Habit – Pack A To-Go Lunch

There is a healthier alternative to making sure you get the right amount of food in your body while you are on vacation and that is to pack a lunch. You don't have to pack a lunch before you leave your house as you can usually pick up your essentials at a grocery store when you arrive. Grabbing quick healthy snacks can help you stay on the go and keep your mind and body focused on having a good time. Stopping at a restaurant can be expensive and very unhealthy. It can also be a time waster and if you have a lot planned for your vacation you won't want to waste time eating.

4 Bad Habit - Trying To Do Too Much In A Short Time

Speaking of having a lot planned! You may not want to have so much planned on your vacation and that may not be the thing you want to hear. Chances are where you are traveling is a once or twice in a lifetime experience and you want to enjoy everything you can while there. However, it is important to remember the reason you took your vacation was to relax and escape the tedious everyday tasks. At some point planning, too many things can become a burden and you may even miss out on the things you really wanted to do because of it.

3 New Habit - Spend More Time In The Places You Like

The exact opposite of trying to visit so many places on a trip is to choose a select few places and spend more time at them. This can help you relax and help you realize why you actually took a vacation. Chances are you have probably planned something to do that you aren't quite into and you shouldn't burden yourself with trying things you know you won't like. It helps to find a place that you know you will like and get as much time out of that spot as possible, even if that means it is the hotel room you chose!

2 Bad Habit – Over Planning The Trip

The root cause of trying to go too many places while traveling is the fact that you probably over planned. While doing your research and making sure you can actually get to your destination is one thing over planning your activities while there can cause unneeded stress. If you want a successful trip then you should research places that you know you will like and allow for larger portions of time for those places. You should also stick to your schedule loosely as being spontaneous while traveling can be refreshing.

1 New Habit – Going With The Flow

Going with the flow of which things happen can be a lot better than stressing about the little things especially on vacation. Chances are if you are traveling to a new place you won't really know what your favorite place is. If you go with the flow there's a good chance that you will end up at your favorite place anyway. If you must make a schedule you should do away with the time schedule and not set a certain amount of time to a specific place. This can limit your enjoyment of the place and may make you more stressed out.